Skin therapeutic mixture containing eupatorium extract and formulations

ABSTRACT

According to the present invention, a skin therapeutic mixture is useful for the alleviation of certain skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis, burns, pimples, blackheads, and open sores, and such mixture comprises: the therapeutic agent being the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant; a preservative chosen from the group consisting of a sulfa-derivative such as sulfathiazole and an alcohol amine; a skin softener such as an oil; and an oil soluble base. An inert pigment such as zinc oxide and a fragrance such as a perfume may be added. According to a specific illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the skin therapeutic mixture comprises about 7.4% by weight of the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant as the therapeutic agent; about 3.7% by weight of sulfathiazole as the preservative; about 14.2% by weight of zinc oxide as the inert white pigment; and about 74.7% by weight of petrolatum.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to skin therapeutic preparations and in particular to such preparations which include the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant as the therapeutic agent.

OTHER RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 795,882, filed 11/7/85, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,242, by the same applicant herein and being entitled "Skin Therapeutic Mixture Containing Eupatorium Extract".

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

Several prior art patents disclose medical or therapeutic mixtures as follows:

Field patent 112329 entitled "Improvement In Medical Compounds For Cure of Catarrh And Asthma" discloses a solution comprising water, potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, licorice extract, boneset leaves, hemp leaves, stromonium leaves, cabela leaves, Virginia snake root, and gum myrrh;

Watts patent 230365 entitled "Liniment" discloses a liniment comprising wild cherry, wild thistle, spearmint, coal oil, turpentine, peppermint, bicarbonate of soda, ammonia, and camphor;

Marshall patent 915781 entitled "Hair Tonic" discloses a hair tonic consisting of an intimate mixture of olive oil in an aqueous extract of the leaves of elder, crab apple, morning glory, night shade, wild sage, horseradish, boneset, and sheep sorrel;

Champman patent 1519755 entitled "Powdered Preparation For Poultices" discloses a poultice preparation composed of a mixture of dry powdered vegetable materials including boneset, sweet fern, and a glutinous material;

Fuller patent 1627963 entitled "Medicinal Product" discloses a fluid extract and tincture comprising a vegetable drug used as a remedial agent and a halogen containing ester of glycerine;

Mecca patent 2370561 entitled "Therapeutic Product And Method Of Making Same" discloses a therapeutic product comprising the active molecular structure of allantoin and a sulfa compound;

Mahon patent 2843522 entitled "Perianal Ointment" discloses a water repellant perianal ointment comprising petrolatum, para diisobutyl cresoxy ethyl di-methyl benzyl ammonium chloride, and calcium caseinate;

Maret patent 3878197 entitled "Process For Preparing Extracts Of Aloe Vera" discloses the process comprising the steps of cutting the rind and aloins of an aloe vera leaf from the gel, and agitating the gel under ultraviolet radiation in a digestion liquid containing amine, phosphorus ions, and potassium ions at a given pH;

Cobble patent 3892853 entitled "Stabilized Aloe Vera Gel And Preparation Of Same" discloses the process comprising the steps of mechanical separation, homogenization, addition of hydrogen peroxide, heating to a given temperature, addition of an effective preparation of a nontoxic oxidant, and addition of an effective preparation of a nontoxic buffer to maintain a given pH range;

Seegall et al patent 3920816 entitled "Composition For Treating Respiratory Diseases" discloses a composition consisting of the juice from the freshly cut leaves of the plant aloe arborescens obtained by extracting the leaves in boiling bees honey;

Coats patent 4178372 entitled "Hypoallergenic Stabilized Aloe Vera Gel" discloses a process comprising the steps of mechanical separation, extrusion, heating to a given temperature range, addition of a catalytic amount of hydrogen peroxide, addition of ascorbic acid, and addition of citric acid to maintain a given pH range;

Takahashi et al patent 4215049 entitled "Antitumorgenic Lactone Derivative" discloses a hiyodorilacton-B having a given formula;

Spies patent 4258035 entitled "Method And Compound For Treatment of Arthritic Conditions In Dogs" discloses a mixture of herbal components consisting essentially of camfrey, mullein, fenugeek, nettle, broom tops, and boneset;

De Navarre patent 4302443 entitled "Non Irritating Anti-Perspirant" discloses a composition comprising aluminum chlorohydroxide and an extract of the aloe vera plant;

Mihalovits patent 4369180 entitled "Cosmetic Facial Preparation Containing Aloe Vera" discloses a preparation comprising aloe vera, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, cornstarch, albumin, hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose, allantoin, vitamin A, vitamin D2, and vitamin E;

Maughan patent 4446131 entitled "Controlled Temperature Process For Manufacturing Of Improved Stabilized Aloe Vera" discloses a process comprising the steps of heating to a given temperature range, addition of ascorbic acid, maintaining the mixture within a given temperature range, and cooling to ambient temperature in less than one hour;

Haslam et al patent 4474751 entitled "Ophthalmic Drug Delivery System Utilizing Thermosetting Gels" discloses an aqueous composition comprising a given polymer by formula, a pharmaceutic or diagnostic agent, and a pharmaceutically acceptable acid or base to adjust the pH within a certain range; and

Millard patent 4505902 entitled "Skin Treatment Preparation" discloses a preparation comprising mineral oil, apricot kernal oil, avocado oil, cod liver oil, propylparaben, and butylated hydroxy anisole.

The above cited prior art patents do not appear to disclose the subject skin therapeutic mixture including the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant as the therapeutic agent.

Objects of the present invention are therefore to provide a skin therapeutic mixture:

for the alleviation of certain skin disorders;

with few known side effects;

that does not irritate the skin;

for treatment of the skin to provide moisture thereto, to promote healing, and to maintain a healthy condition;

for the alleviation of acne, psoriasis, burns, pimples, blackheads, and open sores.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A summary and features of the present invention are therefore that:

a. according to the present invention, a skin therapeutic mixture for alleviation of the aformentioned skin conditions comprises the therapeutic agent being the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant, a preservative chosen from the group consisting of a sulfa derivative such as sulfathiazole and an alcohol amine, a skin softener such as an oil, and an oil soluble base;

b. an inert pigment such as zinc oxide and a fragrance such as a perfume may be added to the mixture;

c. according to a first illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the skin therapeutic mixture comprises the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant as the therapeutic agent, sulfathiazole as the preservative, zinc oxide as a white inert pigment, and petrolatum as the base;

d. according to a second illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the skin therapeutic mixture comprises a water phase, an oil phase, and perfume as the fragrance, said water phase further comprising the extract from the leaves of the Eupatorium plant, glycerol, sodium lauryl sulfate, tri-ethanol amine, and water; and said oil phase further comprising palmitic acid and cetyl alcohol; and

e. according to a third illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the skin theraputic mixture comprises a water phase, an oil phase, and perfume as the fragrance, said water phase further comprising the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant, tri-ethanol amine, propylene glycol, propyl p-hydroxy benzoate, and water; and said oil phase further comprising stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, glycerol monosterate, and propyl p-hydroxy benzoate.

An advantage of the present invention is that when applied to the skin surface it is also absorbed into the skin and is able to contact the subject lesion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be better appreciated from a reading of the following detailed description.

According to the present invention, the skin therapeutic mixture comprises the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant, a preservative, and an oil soluble base. The leaves of the Eupatorium plant are dried under moderate light, under warm temperatures, and with frequent tossing. The dried leaves are then ground to a very small particle size, and thereafter are extracted with water. The smaller the particle size, the more complete will be the extraction.

The following examples are illustrative of suitable skin therapeutic mixtures containing the extract from the dried leaves of the Eupatorium plant:

EXAMPLE #1

    ______________________________________                                         Component           Percentage By Weight                                       ______________________________________                                         Extract from the dried leaves of                                                                   7.4                                                        the Eupatorium plant                                                           Sulfathiazole       3.7                                                        Zinc oxide          14.2                                                       Petrolatum          74.7                                                       ______________________________________                                    

In this example the extract and the other ingredients may be blended together most efficiently by warming the petrolatum with moderate stirring to a semi-liquid, then adding the zinc oxide, sulfathiazole, and the extract in that order. The mixture should be stirred in this fashion for about 10 minutes to insure uniformity of the product.

EXAMPLE #2

    ______________________________________                                         Component          Percentage By Weight                                        ______________________________________                                         A. Water Phase                                                                 Extract from the dried leaves of                                                                  10                                                          the Eupatorium plant                                                           Glycerol           2                                                           Sodium lauryl sulfate                                                                             .2                                                          Tri-ethanol amine  .8                                                          Water              83                                                          B. Oil Phase                                                                   Palmitic acid      3                                                           Cetyl alcohol      .5                                                          C. Perfume for fragrance as needed                                                                .5                                                          ______________________________________                                    

In this example, the water and oil phases are heated separately while stirring at moderate shear speeds to 75 degrees C. Then add the oil phase to the water phase very slowly to insure good dispersion. The smaller the oil stream in the water, the better the dispersion. Fragrance is then added while stirring in small amounts of same as needed.

EXAMPLE #3

    ______________________________________                                         Component          Percentage By Weight                                        ______________________________________                                         A. Water phase                                                                 Extract from the dried leaves of                                                                  8.5                                                         the Eupatorium plant                                                           Tri-ethanol amine  .95                                                         Propylene glycol   4.8                                                         Propyl p-hydroxy benzoate                                                                         .2                                                          Water              80                                                          B. Oil phase                                                                   Stearic acid       3                                                           Cetyl alcohol      .6                                                          Glycerol monosterate                                                                              1                                                           Propyl p-hydroxy benzoate                                                                         .06                                                         C. Perfume for fragrance as needed                                             ______________________________________                                    

In this example, heat the water and oil phases separately to 75 degrees C. Then stir the water phase at moderate shear speeds while adding the oil phase slowly to the water phase.

Several formulations according to the present invention have been tested on animals and humans. The mixtures were found to be nontonxic. The mixtures were tried on over 500 patients for several skin conditions such as psoriasis and others.

Several effective limited ranges of the percentage by weight of the extract have been determined to be:

a. the general effective range: 3% to 30% by weight of the total mixture;

b. the more effective range: 5% to 20% by weight of the total mixture;

c. the effective range: 6% to 10% by weight of the total mixture.

The lower limits are determined and chosen by the least acceptable effectiveness of the formulation and the upper limits are chosen and determined by the ability to prepare a formulation which is suitable for external skin application.

While the arrangement according to the present invention has been described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the disclosed principle. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mixture for alleviating the skin conditions of acne, psoriasis, burns, pimples, blackheads, and open sores, said mixture comprising:a. the aqueous extract from the leaves of the Eupatorium plant, said aqueous extract being prepared as follows: said leaves are dried under moderate light, under warm temperature, and with frequent tossing; then said dried leaves are ground to a very small particle size; and then said ground leaves are extracted with water; said aqueous extract being about 3% to about 30% by weight of said mixture; b. a preservative being sulfathiazole, wherein said preservative is about 3.7% by weight of said mixture; c. an inert pigment being zinc oxide, said inert pigment being about 14.2% by weight of said mixture; and d. an oil soluble base being petrolatum, said oil soluble base being about 74.4% weight of said mixture.
 2. The mixture of claim 1 wherein said aqueous extract is about 5% to about 2% by weight of said mixture.
 3. The mixture of claim 2 wherein said aqueous extract is about 6% to about 10% by weight of said mixture.
 4. A mixture for alleviating the skin conditions of acne, psoriasis, burns, pimples, blackheads, and open sores, said mixture comprising:a. the aqueous extract from the leaves of the Eupatorium plant, said aqueous extract being prepared as follows: said leaves are dried under moderate light, under warm temperature, and with frequent tossing; then said dried leaves are ground to a very small particle size; and then said ground leaves are extracted with water; said aqueous extract being about 3% to about 30% by weight of said mixture; b. a preservative being tri-ethanol amine, wherein said preservative is about 0.8% by weight of said mixture; c. glycerol being about 2% by weight of said mixture; d. sodium lauryl sulfate being about 0.2% by weight of said mixture; e. palmitic acid being about 3% by weight of said mixture; f. cetyl alcohol being about 0.5% by weight of said mixture; g. a fragrance being about 0.5% by weight of said mixture; and h. water being about 83% by weight of said mixture.
 5. The mixture of claim 4 wherein said aqueous extract is about 5% to about 20% by weight of said mixture.
 6. The mixture of claim 5 wherein said aqueous extract is about 6% to about 10% by weight of said mixture.
 7. A mixture for alleviating the skin conditions of acne, psoriasis, burns, pimples, blackheads, and open sores, said mixture comprising:a. the aqueous extract from the leaves of the Eupatorium plant, said aqueous extract being prepared as follows: said leaves are dried under moderate light, under warm temperature, and with frequent tossing; then said dried leaves are ground to a very small particle size; and then said ground leaves are extracted with water; said aqueous extract being about 3% to about 30% by weight of said mixture; b. a preservative being tri-ethanol amine, wherein said preservative is about 0.95% by weight of said mixture; c. propylene glycol being about 4.8% by weight of said mixture; d. propyl p-hydroxy benzoate being about 0.26% by weight of said mixture; e. stearic acid being about 3% by weight of said mixture; f. cetyl alcohol being about 0.6% by weight of said mixture; g. glycerol monosterate being about 1% by weight of said mixture; h. water being about 80% by weight of said mixture; and i. a fragrance being the balance by weight of said mixture.
 8. The mixture of claim 7 wherein said aqueous extract is about 5% to about 20% by weight of said mixture.
 9. The mixture of claim 8 wherein said aqueous extract is about 6% to about 10% by weight of said mixture. 